Major Preston Christmas event called off because of bad weather

A much-loved Christmas concert in Preston has had to be cancelled because of bad weather.

The Friends of Winckley Square (FoWS) event, which was due to take place on Sunday afternoon (14th December), had promised traditional carols around the Christmas Tree and what was billed as a "spectacular” headline act - Bring On the Fire - which was set to “thrill all the family”.

However, organisers say they have been defeated by the expected dismal conditions.

A spokesperson for the group said: “The weather forecast for Sunday’s event has been poor all week but is now covered by a yellow weather warning from the Met Office.

“The probability of rain is over 90 per cent for setup. The ground is already very wet and there is a real risk that vehicles could get stuck.

“Our free events are in part intended to attract people into the centre in the hope that they will also visit the shops, bars, cafes and attractions. It’s not just us affected.

“This is the first time in ten years that FoWS have had to cancel one of our free community events. We know large numbers of people planned to attend.

“Our two indoor events in the past ten days have been fully booked - and many of those who came told us they were looking forward to Sunday’s concert.

“Our volunteers have spent many hours preparing. The Parks’ team have installed ground cover in the performance area and we are fully stocked with food and drink.

“So, everyone is disappointed, but the weather has beaten us this time. Rain is the price we pay for living in Lancashire’s green and pleasant land.”